Potato digger



Dec. 16, 1952 c. H. PTERsoN 2,621,456

POTATO DIGGER Filed March 1'. 1947 6 Sheets-Sheet l C. H. PETERSON Dec. 16, 1952 POTATO DIGGER 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March l. 1947 V INVNToR. uvm/v Hf'fmsm Dec. 16, 1952 C. PETERSON 2,621,456

` l PoTATo BIGGER Filed March 1. 194'? f 6 sheets-Sheet s Zmventor -ULTNTUN HPETER 5' DN Gttornegs Dec. 16, 1952 c. H. PETERSON 2,621,456

PoTATo BIGGER Filed March 1. 194? e Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VEN TOR. .CL/NTNJJ, Pg'TgESUN C. H. PETERSON Dec. 16, 1952 POTATO DIGGER 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March l. 1947 INVENTOR.

M F m w j H m m Dec. 16, 1952 c. H. PETERSON POTATO DIQGER 6 Sheets-Sheec 6 Filed March l. 1947 I 3u entor ZM/TUN HPE'THHDS'UH Gttorneg Patented Dec. 16, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ,2621,456 PoTAfro BIGGER ciint'onH Peterson, StLAnuiony. Idaho Applieomzmarehr, 1947,s'ria1fNo; 731g758: aolaims: (Criss-r).

My invention relates to-imp1''overnent'sv inr a` potato digger.l n y Y It is the principal-purposeof my invention-to provide certain novel improvements in a-p'otato digger wherebyY the potatoesP ared dug. from the ground and separated from thavinesfandl fdirt,N then delivered into a trucker. similari/.vehicle without allowing the'rpotatoes to-dropaI-iyi sub-j stantial distancev so that they will notlbe bruised or damaged. O'nefofthe:l great difficulties with the` diggers with which 1I`am-.famlia1f.i'sfthlfact thatv at some .point-fduringtheir/travel from the digging shovelstoA thed vehicle. ih'. which"l theyl are carried. away, the potatoes a-re'i treated. roughly byY beingallowed to fall ay substantial. distance. Up to thetimeof myinventionfnopotato'harvesting equipment, to. myl knowledgeA could suecessfully harvest the potatoes by bl'limethods. ei method had'been to diglandsack on the diggerand then transfer the heavy?sackslto` a-vehicle. This invariably results in brui'sirigfthe potatoes and such bruises areV p'airti'eularlydamagirigltoI the potatoes. The di'i'culty is that? when the potato is ist 'dug `from thegoimd, it`isra'th`er tender andthe bruisefmay'brealithe'sliin or at least' damage theA surface of A the' potato" sufi 'ciently to startdecay; s'noepotatoesH arefdg" and stored for''llieepiigA oveflong perods'oi" time and are oftentimes 'shipped'rundervarvihg cone ditions,` it ishighly" essential"that* bruising be' avoided whenever possible My'inventionf pro' vides means whereby the44 loading 'of-the'potat'o'es directlyA into al truck or' other vehic1`"'bo'xVL when they are dug can be accomplished without al-lovvvv ing themY to Adrop attheitimeof-thefllingofthe vehicle box a* distanc'ewhich would b'esu'ient" to damageth'em apprecialili'f;vr

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide-- a novel means cooperatingwith thefloadingfto remove vines fandftrashfromthe potatoes without'bruising them.

The novelfeatures that -Ilconsider characteristic of my invention` are set .forthy with particularity ini the claims.A Theinvention itself, however; both as to its organization and itsf method" of operation', togethe'rf withfadditional. objects and advantages thereof', williberfunderstoodfrom the` description of: a speciic embodiment when' read inv connection with `the accompanying f drawings, in which:

Figure lV isaVv fragmentaryr plan view ofl the elevator conveyor :system: employed; J

Figure 2 is a fragmentary:l sideviewof the loading elevator;

view of aportion of. the loader;

2; Figure Liris arr enlarged` sectional? View onVv the 1ine`4-4 of Figure 1;

Fgure- 5 is a" sectionalv View onthe lineY 5*-5 f Figurer-4; Figure lisa diagrammaticjplan view of-the digger and elevator mechanism-ofT the mach-ine showing it equipped withv the` usual4 vinev andt trash removers instead of my improved separating means;

Figure 7 isla rearendgve-W of'the machine"` showninplan in l-F-igure 6.- with the loading ele-- vator drive mechanism left off; l, Y A Figure 8 is a fragmentary.4 sectional View takenV on the line-8 8- of Figure- 1,.showing a modified' arrangement ofy the-air blast means;v and' driving mechanism emplyerilvY I u Y i My invention is shown!- appliedtoA a-potatorf digger offthev general character' above described4 elevators, and may. have aseparat'e conrienti-on` (not shown) tothe drive wheelsJ whiehA support' with lthe' elevators I2 landl 3i' a cross Iconv'eyoi I'I is 'mountedfclo'sely beneathth'e upperend ofthe elevators so as to receive-aliepotatoes-frontthe elevator and" transfer them`v to'on'e side of Vthe A fan unit `I 8 having 'outlets 'I 9 `and' 20 is mounted between the elevators I2 andy I 3f 'andr is arranged VtoY directa blast'ofairA across''thetepV of the'conve'yor ITto-rmove vines'. etc'. I

The' cross-conveyor' I`I delivers the' potatoes' to' supported iornitha main frame of .the digger-'andi of Jsuiicient' length to l bringv the l potatoes to af level'n higli enough-itc pass over? the' side? offth'e initi'ally loweredso that'its free'lend T213y islsl'igliftlyA above. the level ofi the -iloorinh the. velii'clefv tocarry the potatoesldownwardly andfdliv rfthem` close to 'the floor ati the beginning of-the loading. Y Itis necessaryln.ordeitolavidbru'isingf the potatoes't dliverthem* into the bat al1 tittiesn Figure 9' isa diagrammatic view illustratingthe during the loading operation without their falling any substantial distance. Initially, in the loading, this outer section of the loading conveyor can be kept in its lower position and moved along the vehicle box until the floor of the box is covered to a substantial extent. The operator of the digger has a control mechanism 25 by which he can gradually lift the free end 24 of the outer section 23 of the loading conveyor as the load lls up the vehicle box. In this fashion the potatoes can be loaded uniformly in the box with the drop from the free end of the loading conveyor being at all times held at a safe limit that will not seriously damage the potatoes. The control mechanism 25 comprises a framework 26 including an arm 26' of the movable section 23, a link 21 leading from the framework, a yoke or lever arm 28 that is pivoted on the elevator 2| and secured at the top to the link 21, and an operating member 23 secured to the yoke 28 beneath the elevator 2i. The operating member 29 is secured on the piston 3| of an hydraulic cylinder 30. The cylinder 30 is secured on the frame 9 beneath the elevator 2I. A supply conduit 32 furnishes hydraulic fluid to the cylinder 30 from a pump 33 that is secured on the digger frame adjacent to the operators position. The pump preferably is a conventional manually operable type with a release to permit the iuid return from the cylinder 30 when loading of a vehicle is completed and the movable section 23 is to be lowered into an empty vehicle box.

The elevator 2l and the movable conveyor section 23 have vanes 34, of rubber belting or similar material mounted thereon. These vanes are so arranged as to prevent the potatoes from rolling down the elevator 2l or the section 23 at such a rate as would damage them. The framework 26, the link 21 and the yoke 28 are so constructed as to be entirely ont of the way of the conveyor. As shown best in Figures l. and 2 the elevator section 2I is driven by a chain 35a from a drive shaft 36. The chain 35a drives a sprocket shaft 35 for the elevator 2 I. This shaft is in turn connected by a chain 38 to the lower shaft 39 of the conveyor section 23. The shaft 35 serves also as the pivot for the conveyor section 23.

The fan I8, which is shown as a double unit mounted on the shaft I8a, is connected by a drive shaft 40 and a suitable clutch mechanism 4I to the power shaft 42 of the power unit I4. The power unit I4 is also utilized by means of a chain drive 43 to operate the drive mechanism for the elevators I2 and I 3, the cross conveyor I1 Vand the elevator 2I. Figures l and 9 illustrate this drive mechanism best. The shaft 36 has sprocket Wheels 44 and 45 thereon driving the conveyor I1. The shaft 36 drives a shaft 46 that is connected by a sprocket chain 4'I to a shaft 48 that drives the elevators l2 and I3. The shaft 36 is driven by a cross shaft 49 that is geared to a stub shaft 50 that is driven by the chain 43.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3 and 4, I have found that one of the greatest difculties in the handling of the potatoes, particularly when the vines are wet, lies in the tendency of the vines to clog and interfere with the ordinary travel of the potatoes from the elevators I2 and I3, over the cross conveyor I1 to the delivery mechanism comprising the elevator 2I and the movable delivery conveyor section 23. It has been customary in the past to provide in potato diggers the vine removing conveyors such as is shown at I and 52 in Figures 6 and 7 of the drawings. The conveyors. however, must always travel in the 4 opposite direction to the potatoes delivered from the elevators I2 and I3 to the cross conveyor I1. The vine removing conveyors do not work well when the vines are wet and are a source of continuous trouble. They are also a source of considerable damage to the potatoes since the fingers 53 thereof oftentimes strike the potatoes with such force as to damage them. If any of the fingers get broken, theyv must be replaced promptly or difculty will result due to failure to remove the vines. Much of the material which is picked up with the potatoes is too small to be caught by the vine conveyors. I have, therefore, developed a method of removing vines and small sticks, dirt particles and the like which utilizes the fan I8 to provide a strong blast of air directly beyond each of the elevators I2 and I3 where they deliver the potatoes and vines to the cross conveyor I'I. These blasts of air strike the material while it is falling and since the blasts are directed upwardly as well as rearwardly, they will blow all wet vines across the conveyor I'I. The effect on the potatoes is to tend. to remove loose dirt particles from them and to retard the falling of the potato because of the upward direction of the stream of air` The arrangement is such that the distance for the potatoes to-fall from the outlet ends of the elevators I2 and I3 ontothe conveyor I1 is kept at a minimum. In fact, the distance is substantially smaller than is commonly necessary where the vine removing conveyors 5I and 52 are used.

The air blast outlets I9` and 20 may be placed, as illustrated in Figures 1, 4 and 5 beneath the elevators I2 and I3. Alternatively they may be placed as shown in the sectional View, Figure 8, within the elevators at I9a. The ducts leading to the outlets go through one side wall of the elevator supporting frame.

The combination, in a loading device, of the air blast mechanism for separating the vines and trash from the potatoes as they fall from theelevators I2 and I3 to the cross conveyor I1, with the elevatorA 2| and movable lowering section 23 having the soft vanes 34, enables me to elevate and load the potatoes without bruising or damaging them after digging. The machine effects a great saving in the harvesting of potatoes. It saves time. One operator can run the machine. It puts the potatoes in the truck without bruising them and disposes of the vines and trash, wet or dry.

It is believed that the nature and advantages of my invention will be clear from the foregoing description. Having thus'described my invention, I claim:

1. In a potato digger having means to dig the potatoes and a conveyor operable to move the dug potatoes upwardly and rearwardly from the digging means, loading means operable to deliver the potatoes as dug and elevated into a vehicle box travelling with the digger, said loa-ding means comprising conveying and elevating means to which the, potatoes are delivered by the first named conveyor, a lowering conveyor having its receiving end in juxtaposition t0 the delivery end of said conveying and elevating means and pivoted to said delivery end and manual' control mechanism adapted to lift the free end of said lowering conveyor as the load in the vehicle box builds up, said mechanism comprising an upwardly extending framework on the lowering conveyor, a link extending from the top of said framework over the elevating means, a yoke pivoted on the elevating means to which the link is attached and means to swing the yoke on its pivot, said lowering conveyor having means thereon to keep the potatoes from rolling off the lowering conveyor until they are delivered substantially to the free end thereof.

2. In a potato digger having means to dig the potatoes and a conveyor operable to move the dug potatoes upwardly and rearwardly from the digging means, loading means operable to deliver the potatoes as dug and elevated into a vehicle box travelling with the digger, said loading means comprising conveying and elevating means to which the potatoes are delivered by the iirst named conveyor, a lowering conveyor having its receiving end in juxtaposition to the delivery end of said conveying and elevating means and pivoted to said delivery end, manually controlled power means for swinging the lowering conveyor about its pivot to follow the level of potatoes loaded in the vehicle box, said lowering conveyor having transverse varies of yielding material thereon to keep the potatoes from rolling off the lowering conveyor until they are delivered substantially to the free end thereof.

3. In a potato digger having means to dig the potatoes and a conveyor operable to move the dug potatoes upwardly and rearwardly from the digging means, loading means operable to deliver the potatoes as dug and elevated into a vehicle box travelling with the digger, said loading means comprising conveying and elevating means to which the potatoes are delivered by the rst named conveyor, a lowering conveyor having its receiving end in juxtaposition to the delivery end of said conveying and elevating means and pivoted to said delivery end, said lowering conveyor having spaced upstanding transverse yielding vanes thereon, and means to raise the delivery end of the said lowering conveyor as the loading progresses comprising an arm xed on the lowering conveyor and extending upwardly above the upper end of the elevating means, a lever arm on the elevating means, a link connecting the upper ends of said arms, and manually controlled means for swinging said lever arm.

CLINTON H. PETERSON.

REFERENCES errno The following references are of record in the iile of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

